Children of the Shadows Challenges
by Flight of the Storm Crow
Summary: My challenge book for Children of the Shadows, though If I join more forums this may become a challenge book for every forum I'm on. And I highly recommend you join Children of the Shadows if you haven't, too! No pressure, of course. Only if you want to. I'm not join to track you down and do something if you don't, if I even had the power to do so.
1. Drabble

The lightning is flashing overhead, and the thunder is pounding. The rain is pouring, and the clouds are dark as ebony. I'm huddling under the shelter of ferns; my pelt is still soaked but my poor shelter must do. I can't afford to move from this spot until my mother returns, anyways. A kit shouldn't be stuck out in a storm in such meager weather, but I won't leave until she comes back for me. I can not ever let mama go. She promised that she would return. Please don't be dead, mama. I love you. Don't leave me here.


	2. Who Finishes First?

Fernmist glanced to the side at her component. The sleek and lean shape of Heatherstrike was outlined by the sun, giving the other she-cat a golden glow. She shivered and looked away, shuffling her paws in anticipation.

Today was the day. Today was the day where she would prove that she was the fastest cat in all the clans. Or that she wasn't.

Hurried paw steps sounded and Fernmist glanced up to see a dark gray tabby she-cat standing beside a pale gray tom. Even without their fishy scent she knew they were from RiverClan; their pelts looked damp as if they had swam over to the competition.

She strained her ears, trying to catch on to what the two cats were saying to the ThunderClan and WindClan leaders.

"-extra competitor- -Icereeze- -fast-"

Fernmist shared a look of confusion with Heatherstrike and padded closer. "Uh, excuse me?" she mewed.

Immediately her leader, Oakstar, glanced at her. "What is it?" The ginger-and-white she-cat could tell that the anticipation from the contest was making him tense.

"Who's he?" she flicked her tail at the tom.

"Dewstar's brought another competitor for us. Icebreeze of RiverClan." Oakstar responded,

The pale gray tom nodded earnestly, eyes shining with excitement. He looked stocky and slow, his long fur tangled into matted clumps. A faint distrust and hate boiled inside of Fernmist; this was Heatherstrike and hers contest.

Giving Icebreeze a disdainful snort, she pranced back over to Heatherstrike. "Icebreeze. RiverClan cat. New competitor."

Heatherstrike let out a soft growl, her claws sinking into the ground as Icebreeze bounded over to join him, paws pounding the ground hard and clumsily. He was really going to enter the contest?

Turning away in contempt, Fernmist lashed her tail in his face and trotted over to where the start of the race was. They had to take a trail from just outside WindClan's camp to just outside ThunderClan's camp. Whoever made it there first was the fastest cat in the clans.

"Alliance?" Heatherstrike whispered, following her closely.

Fernmist nodded. "As soon as one of us starts feeling tired, we take out Icebreeze," she responded.

Heatherstrike nodded, eyes dark. "Got it."

...

"3! 2! 1! Go!" Oakstar yowled.

Speeding off, Fernmist found herself trailing behind Heatherstrike by a few paw steps. Yet Icebreeze was nowhere in sight. Heatherstrike seemed to realize this and glanced backwards, slowing down for a moment, and Fernmist dashed past the other she-cat.

Stretching her legs and arching her spine with each bound, Fernmist found herself going faster and faster. She swerved beside a clump of gorse, catching sight of the stream. The warrior could hear Heatherstrike's panting behind her, and Icebreeze's as well.

Great. So he was here.

Fernmist took a giant leap across the stream, landing nearly a full fox-length away from the water on the other side. Taking a deep breath, she continued running, her ginger-and-white pelt merely a bullet, a flash, a shadow, in the forest.

She knew this territory. Fernmist could win this.

Suddenly, there was a grunt and a startled yowl swiftly cut off from behind her. Fernmist kept on going, knowing that it must be Heatherstrike taking Icebreeze down. Now she just had to make it to the finish line.

Icebreeze couldn't beat her now... Fernmist slowed down, trotting for a few moments to catch her breath. She sniffed the air, wondering if there was any prey nearby. As she dropped into a crouch, a pale gray blue flashed by, followed by Heatherstrike's ginger tabby one. The WindClan she-cat's eyes were wide with fear and anger as she spread across the ground.

Fernmist jumped to her feet and pounded after them. She knew they were nearing the final stretch of the race; Icebreeze couldn't win! She was the fastest cat! Icebreeze was just a bulky RiverClan tom.

There were cheers as some cat crossed the finish line.

Ahead of Fernmist.

Ahead of Heatherstrike.

Icebreeze had won.

Heatherstrike had got second.

And Fernmist? She was just third.

"I demand a rematch!" she shrieked, freezing. "Rematch! And kill the tom!"

Dewstar bristled, resting her tail on Icebreeze's flank. "Don't be stupid!" the RiverClan leader snarled. "He won even though you two cheated! He's the fastest cat ever!'

"Fernmist didn't cheat!" Oakstar hissed.

Sunstar of WindClan looked miffed. "But Heatherstrike, why?"

"Rematch!" Heatherstrike echoed, sounding furious. "We want a rematch!"

Two dark shapes approached the slope. "I hope we aren't too late," a gruff voice called out. Two black cats stepped out of the shadows, one a she-cat and one a tom. The tom dipped his head to the other leaders. "Hollyfrost's fast. I want her to race, too."

"Greetings, Darkstar," Sunstar mewed after a moment, then hesitated. "I suppose we'll have a rematch. And no cheating!" she fixed Heatherstrike under her glare.


	3. See You Again

_When I see you again, mother, how much time will have passed?_

The she-cat was crouched beside the limp shape of a rowan-furred she-cat, shoulders hunched as she buried her muzzle in the cat's fur. Her amber eyes were haunted with a mixture of horror, shock, and grief, and the warrior ignored the quiet activity in the ThunderClan camp around her.

 _I... I just can't believe you died. You were everything to me. I'm going to miss you so much- I already am._

Tucking her paws more comfortably under her, it was clear that the grieving she-cat was preparing for her mother's vigil. A light brown tabby she-cat trotted up, a bundle of rosemary in her mouth. Sitting, the cat began to spread the herbs on the dead warrior's pelt.

 _The rosemary makes you smell sweet, mum, if that helps whatever emotions you must be feeling. Though not as sweet as you are in personality._

Glancing away from her mother momentarily, the ginger tabby she-cat took in a deep breath. She was quivering slightly, ears flat to her head and fur bristling. It was clear that she was reluctant to let go of the cat who raised her.

 _But you're dead. That's the worst thing there is. I can't get you out of my head, either._

"Roseheart," a soft voice mewed. It was the cat spreading the rosemary. "I know you're grieving, but help me rub theses herbs on Palestorm."

Roseheart slowly met the cat's gaze, tensing. "I can't. She's my mother. By doing so, I'm letting her go. Don't you understand, Hazelfoot?"

 _It's not like that's what I want to do, anyways. I just want you to return, mom._

Hazelfoot sighed and dipped her head, returning to her task. The sun was setting at this point, slowly but steadily, casting long shadows that streaked across the ThunderClan camp. Palestorm's body was hidden in this darkness, making Roseheart flinch.

 _Are you trying to send me a sign showing you are no more? I love you, and I respect you, but if that's true... I still won't listen. You're going to live forever in my heart, understand?_

Roseheart shuffled away from her mother, staring up at the darkening sky. Her ginger tabby fur was ruffled as she gazed up above, but that didn't matter to her.

 _When I see you again, I can tell you how much I missed you, and how I predicted it this very day. And I'll tell you much we all missed you- the whole of ThunderClan._

The grieving warrior sighed, curling up with her chin on her paws. Her father was dead, and so was her sister, who hadn't even made it to becoming a warrior. It felt like every cat who loved died, and Roseheart hated that feeling. Why couldn't she love without causing death?

 _Gorsetail, my father, will you take care of Palestorm? Make sure she's happy, even in the afterlife. I'd hate to see her upset. And please show me you're happy yourself. I can't wait to see you again._

The dark sky above heeded no answers to her silent pleas, but that didn't faze Roseheart. The ginger tabby merely cast her gaze back to the present, locking on her mother's body.

 _And Rowanpaw, the same goes for you. Make sure Palestorm's happy and take care of yourself. I miss you so much, sister. I really do._

A flash of dark feelings swept over Roseheart, and she cringed, sighing. It would be best not to think of her losses, but how could she not do so? She missed them all so much.

 _When I see you again, I'll tell you how much I missed each one of you. I'll prove it to you if you don't believe me, and I'll spend every day with the three of you. We'll be a family once more, in StarClan, and we'll watch over ThunderClan together. As one._

 _I feel so bad seeing you all gone, and it breaks my heart whenever I think of you, I promise. I just can't accept that you're all really gone. When you died, Rowanpaw, it was easily enough to accept. There was still mum and dad with me. But then father was killed, and that pushing me past my breaking point. And now Palestorm's joined the ranks of StarClan._

 _I miss you all so, so much. Rest in peace, my precious family._


	4. All That Glitters Isn't Gold

**All That Glitters Isn't Gold:**

Yellowstorm pushed her way through the throng of warriors, not saying sorry when he bumped into others cats, instead focused on making it to the rock. Warriors and apprentices let out annoyed grumbles as she passed them, but Yellowstorm didn't give them a second thought.

At the front, she spun around to face the crowd of warriors. "You all are fighting today!" she yowled. "You're going to be fighting to defend our clan's honor! You're going to be fighting to secure what is ours so that ShadowClan cannot take it away from us!"

A few yowls of approval rung out at her words, but most cats still looked annoyed. Yellowstorm bristled, sighing.

"I can see some of you are sore and battered and worn and torn, but I ask you to fight anyways! Our clan depends on a battle patrol fighting to save them, and if you're on that patrol I expect you to fight diligently!" Yellowstorm added, raising her head and tail proudly. "I have chosen the strongest cats out of you all-" she waved her tail at the warriors "-and though I am still the best fighter, I'll need you with to distract our enemies while I attack Fogstar."

The cats who had cheered earlier were silent now, ears flattened angrily. There were a few murmurs amongst the warriors as they shot glares in her direction.

"Arrogant furball!"

"Thinks she's so good, huh?"

"Silverkit could beat _her_ in a fight!"

"I can't believe she's our deputy, for StarClan's sake!"

"Do we really have to fight for _her_? She's the reason behind all our troubles!"

"Let's just let her fight by herself, okay guys?"

"Warriors of ThunderClan! I can see some of you are angry- and you can channel that anger into slaying ShadowClan warriors under my leadership. Follow me into battle today, and one of you shall walk beside me as my deputy when the time comes!" Yellowstorm added.

She was satisfied to see that she had caught the attention of the majority of the warriors.

Raising her voice into a loud yowl, she called out, "Who will join this strong, fierce deputy in this war?"

"I will!"

"I will!"

"I will!"

"Then I think we've a battle patrol, ThunderClan!" Yellowstorm crouched, then bounded towards the camp entrance. "To ShadowClan, for ThunderClan!"

The clan echoed her cries as they raced after her. Glancing behind her, Yellowstorm sighed. _That's way too many cats. If I didn't want to be left alone while I fought my way to Fogstar, I wouldn't even need to take one of them..._

 _Maybe I should send them all back? It's not like I need the help._

Pulling to a halt, Yellowstorm weaved through the crowd of warriors, shoving them all as she went by to test their strength and steadiness, and to disgruntle them. They let out annoyed mutters and moved closed together, sheathing and unsheathing their claws.

"Let's just kill her now."

Yellowstorm jerked her head to see the apprentice that had said that. Flicking her tail at him, she stalked up to the brown tabby tom, looming over him. "What was that, Oakpaw?" she snarled. "I just happen to be the greatest deputy and leader our clan has ever known, thank you very much!"

Oakpaw shuffled his paws, looking irritated. "I said nothing, Yellowstorm. It was Palepaw."

She knew he was lying, but it worked as an excuse to get rid of the two apprentices. "Both of you," she snarled, grabbing Palepaw's scruff and heaving her towards camp. "Are going back to camp. Now. I don't need your pitiful skills, anyways. Bluewing, go with them to make sure they obey. I don't need your fighting strengths either. You're all lucky I'm letting you go in the first place when I don't need you to help me."

Bluewing, Oakpaw, and Palepaw slowly made their way back to camp with bushed out pelts. Yellowstorm returned her gaze to the angry crowd. "In fact," she added, sighing dramatically. You can all go, since there's no point injuring more warriors then there's needed to win the battle. See you all later after I kill Fogstar."

* * *

"Yellowstorm! Come back here!"

The furiously fighting she-cat paused, a ShadowClan warrior using her distraction to sink his teeth into his shoulder. She yowled and wrenched herself free, turning to see Leafstar. Her older sister looked both furious and worried, her eyes haunted.

"I can't lose you! Not like mom or dad or our littermates!"

She snapped her head back in silent refusal, instead raking her claws down a ginger she-cat's flank. The warrior squealed but kept on fighting, tearing at Yellowstorm's bloodied pelt.

"You can't fight this by yourself! Come back to me!"

Suddenly, Yellowstorm was pinned, her neck in the strong grasp of Fogstar herself.

"No! I won't let you do it, Fogstar!"

Bounding across the clearing, Leafstar took off in a soaring leap, catching Fogstar's own throat in her jaws and killing the leader instantly. Yellowstorm gasped as she realized she could breathe again and struggled to her feet, limping towards the edge of the clearing.

Then there was another crack of bone as someone killed Leafstar.

Yellowstorm broke into a frantic run, racing back home towards her own territory.

* * *

"ThunderClan! Our leader is dead, but I am still here to lead you all to victory!" Yellowstorm shouted. "My deputy is Cedarwing. I will receive my nine lives tonight."

* * *

 _What to do, what to do?_ Yellowstorm- no, Yellow _star_ , now- contemplated silently in her head, standing on the highledge. Leafstar's death weighed heavily on her.

"What do I do?" she asked herself.

 _I want to feel my power... I'm the most skilled leader and warrior and deputy in the forest, and I've earned that right to enjoy my new powers many times over, have I not?_

 _But I don't know what to do._

"Here." A cat growled. A mouse plopped down beside her nest.

 _Bring me something bigger, maybe?_ She thought scornfully, but didn't protest as the warrior, named Owlstorm, walked away.

"Be a leader and say something already," Appletail called, sounding irritated.

Yellowstar growled and raised her head to stare at the ginger warrior. "Okay. Go..." _Go bring me five rabbits from WindClan territory, fresh? And don't get caught?_

 _Go do that? No, I can't risk it. She isn't skilled enough to be sure that she won't be got, and now that I'm leader I don't have to do anything._

Glaring at Appletail briefly, she waved her tail in Cedarwing's direction. "Go... Ask your deputy." _Ask your deputy because I don't know what to do._

 _I'm a leader with no goals._

 _I'm a leader still with skills._

 _Yet I'm leader dying._

 _I'm a leader all alone._

 _I'm a leader who needs to go do something._

 _But I'm failing._

 _Because I don't know what to do._


	5. The Reason I Cry At Night

_I'm crying... Sobbing... Shoulders shaking._

 _Whimpering... Shattered... Forever broken._

 _Don't I get to choose what happens?_

 _Isn't my future one I get to control?_

* * *

 _He's dead... Gone... A lost spirit._

 _He's with the stars... Shining... Without me._

 _First they killed him and now they say I am next._

 _I don't want to die; not so young, not yet._

* * *

 _Threatened... Blamed... Frightened, too._

 _Scared... And scarred... But I must see it through._

 _There's so much more to see in this world._

 _Are the stars planning to take me before I can see all?_

* * *

Ivyfern buried her head in her next, shivering in the cold of the night. She was sobbing; sobbing quietly, but most definitely sobbing at that. Her flanks heaved for air, and her gleaming silver claws were sunk deep into the soft ground. The silver tabby pelt of Ivyfern was ruffled, as if something was troubling her, and her tail lashed from side to side.

They had killed Thornflight, and now they wanted to kill her, too.

She had lived like this for almost two moons now, crying herself to sleep each night. She had lived like this for almost two moons now, afraid each night that she might wake up dead. She had lived like this for almost two moons now, knowing her time would end soon.

"Hey, what's up?" It was a soft, familiar voice, but it all the same sent shivers up Ivyfern's spine. She jumped to her feet, fur bushed out and claws unsheathed, ready to fight to protect herself.

Brackenleap, Thornflight's brother, was standing in front of her with a worried expressing lining his golden-furred face. "Are you okay?" he pressed. "I've noticed that... _this_... kind of happens each night, and I'm worried for you. Are you grieving for Thornflight still?"

"No," ivyfern responded with a sarcastic tone, even though her words were true. "I'm just trying to live out the last of my days to the fullest."

He wasn't fooled by her voice. "What do you mean by that? The last of your days?" Brackenleap's eyes widened, alarmed. "Ivyfern, are you planning to kill yourself?"

Ivyfern spun around, jerking her head to stare at him as she stomped outside the warrior's den. "The rogues who killed him promised they'd kill me next!"

Instantly, the golden tom was at her side. "Ivyfern, don't worry," he soothed. "If that's it, we'll tell Spiderstar and he'll make sure they don't hurt you."

"Maybe if I died, though, I'd be with Thornflight!" she snarled, suddenly angry as she turned around to face him. Ivyfern lifted one paw, claws unsheathed.

"No!" Brackenleap leapt for her, bowling Ivyfern over and pinning her to the ground. She didn't struggle. "Don't think like that! I- we need you!"

Ivyfern grimaced, sighing. "Maybe so. Look, if you're so worried, why don't you stay by my side constantly?" she grumbled. "Then you'll be content, because you can stop a rogue or stop me, and I'll be free."

"Deal!" he declared, eyes lighting up.

"Deal?" Ivyfern echoed, surprised.

"I mean I'll do exactly that," Brackenleap explained, shuffling his paws and looking slightly embarrassed. He let her stand up, and she did so, scrambling to her paws.

Ivyfern squinted at him. "Very well, then. Do so."

* * *

Ivyfern purred, glancing at her three kits. Brackenlep had kept his promise; every day and every night he watched over, and he even saved her from a fox. The two had grown steadily closer, and now he was the father to her three kits.

The first one, a silver tabby she like her, was named Silverkit. Sunkit was the second kit, a golden tabby she-kit, and Foxkit was the third, a russet tom.

All three kits were beautiful, in her own opinion, and today they would be apprenticed; her two green-eyed daughters and her amber-eyed son.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!" Spiderstar yowled.

As the clan gathered, Spiedrstar continued, "It is with great sadness that I pronounce Fernheart dead."

Yowls of grief rang out for the beloved young deputy.

"However, we still must go on. I, Spiderstar of ThunderClan, say these words before the body of Fernheart so that she may hear and approve of my choice. Brackenleap will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

The words both shocked and delighted Ivyfern, and she nudged Brackenleap happily towards Spiderstar.

* * *

"Silverpaw! Sunpaw! Foxpaw! Silverpaw! Sunpaw! Foxpaw!"

* * *

 _I'm crying... Sobbing... Shoulders shaking._

 _Whimpering... Shattered... Forever broken._

 _Don't I get to choose what happens?_

 _Isn't my future one I get to control?_

* * *

 _He's dead... Gone... A lost spirit._

 _He's with the stars... Shining... Without me._

 _First they killed him and now they say I am next._

 _I don't want to die; not so young, not yet._

* * *

 _Threatened... Blamed... Frightened, too._

 _Scared... And scarred... But I must see it through._

 _There's so much more to see in this world._

 _Are the stars planning to take me before I can see all?_

* * *

 _Once those words described me._

 _But they are me no longer._

 _Now I shine bright like the stars._

 _I am happy, yet I haven't come that far._


	6. Not What I Expected

_It's a long story... You might call it twisted, just like my leg._

 _Still, you're brave to ask me. I'm afraid I've developed quite the temper alongside my old age._

 _I won't refuse, but you have to promise me not to go around meowing about it- I'm an elder, not the center of all you young uns' latest gossip._

 _You promise? Good. I don't know if I can really trust the word of you, but I'm sure you know the consequences if you go around doing what you just said you wouldn't. I might be old, but I certainly haven't lost any of my reputation, eh?_

 _Now, now, settle down. I'm not going to continue this tomorrow, or the day after that or so on, so you'd best prepare for a long night._

 _It all started one midnight, the day before the full moon, with my parents, Fernstar- Fernflight, then- and Stoneheart._

* * *

A dark, stormy swathe of clouds covered the night sky, hiding the stars from the world below. It was a fierce, persevering storm that lit up the sky with bright flashes of lightning that illuminated the forest below and filled the air with loud, deafening booms of thunder.

Three cats huddled in the poor shelter of a holly bush, the air around them tense and rigid. One cat, a pale tortoiseshell she-cat, was curled on the ground, her fur stiff and eyes wide with pain. In the nook of her belly lay a tiny tortoiseshell shape, stubby tail sticking straight out. The flanks of the newborn kit barely stirred, and the second cat, a gray tom with white paws, paced next to the duo with a frantic look on his face.

The third cat, a black tom, gently rolled the kit over with one paw and pressed the other softly on the kit's chest, as if trying to increase the breathing. The technique, clearly well-practiced and well-learned, still couldn't the help the tiny tortoiseshell, though, and the breaths soon became even fainter.

A yowl erupted from the birthing queen as another shape slid onto the ground. The black tom turned swiftly and nipped open the thin sac, revealing a small gray she-kit with one white forepaw.

When the tom glanced at the tortoiseshell, the breathing had stopped completely. The first kit had been lost, but there was still a chance to save the second kit.

The gray she-kit was already breathing strongly, though; it didn't need the tom's help. He placed it gently beside its mother and stepped back to place both the gray tom with the white paws and the tortoiseshell queen in his line of sight. "Fernflight, Stoneheart, you are now the parents of two she-kits. I'm sorry, but the first died. It was too weak to survive. Still, your second kit is strong and perfectly healthy. She'll be just as good a hunter as his mother and just as fast and strong as his father."

"Stoneheart, you'll have to bury the first kit. Still, we need to give them both names first. You can name the tortoiseshell, and I'll name the gray she-kit," Fernflight responded, her voice strained with grief for her firstborn yet still hardened with determination to make it through the tragedy.

"Right," Stoneheart responded, his voice echoing the same emotions as hers. "Why not Fernkit, after her mother?"

The black tom dipped his head. "A beautiful name," he intervened.

Fernflight glanced at the tom, her tail tip flicking dismissively. "You can go now, Blackfur."

Dipping his head a second time, Blackfur turned and stepped gracefully out of the shelter of the holly bush, pausing to pick up a leaf bundle.

"Now, the gray she-kit," Fernflight continued, her loving gaze fixing on the tiny she-kit. "Maybe Hollykit, since she was born in a holly bush?"

"Perfect," Stoneheart declared, before leaning forwards to carefully grasp the newly named Hollykit's scruff. "We have to get them back to camp, now. They were going to be born in the nursery, if you hadn't gone out on that walk." He lifted the kit into the air, swinging her slowly towards where Blackfur had disappeared from inside the holly bush.

Gasping, Fernflight reeled backwards, eyes widening in astonishment. "Stoneheart! Look at it!"

Stoneheart, confused, set the kit down to speak. "What do you mean? Hollykit? Is there something wrong?"

"Is there something wrong?" Fernflight repeated. "Of course there's something wrong! Look at her foreleg!"

The gray tom prodded the kit gently with one white paw, letting out a startle mew as he saw what Fernflight had noticed- a severely twisted foreleg. Still, it took only a heartbeat for him to nuzzle the kit. "So? Who cares? She's still our lovely, perfect daughter."

"No!" Fernflight snarled, rising to her feet. "As long as its leg is twisted, that will be no daughter of mine!"

* * *

Hollykit blinked sorrowfully, twisting to one side and letting out a yelp of pain as claws still connected with her shoulder and raked down her disfigured leg. A second blow sent her skidding across the clearing until she tumbled to a halt at her father's paws.

Stoneheart jumped to his feet, letting out a fierce hiss directed at the tortoiseshell she-cat who had hit Hollykit and gray fur bristling. "Look, that's your _kit,_ for StarClan's sake! She's not some sort of evil abomination!"

Hollykit dragged herself into the shadows, ears flat against her head. The gray she-kit walked with a heavy limp, her naturally twisted foreleg providing her with a staggering gait. As she paused to catch her breath, she caught her mother's angry words of retaliation slicing through the air. "I've told you time and time again, Stoneheart, and I'll tell you again- that is _not_ my kit, not as along as it has that ugly twisted leg!"

Lowering her head, the gray she-kit soon found herself struggling into the medicine cat den, where jaws swiftly snagged her scruff and set her gently in a mossy nest. Blackfur blinked warmly at her, his solid black coat gleaming faintly in the sunlight. "Fernflight?" he guessed, voice soft with sympathy as he leaned forwards and sniffed her shoulder wound.

"Don't worry about her," he continued. "She'll get used to it eventually. Until then, you've just got to remember the whole clan loves you and cares for you despite what she thinks."

Hollykit let out a frustrated sigh, tearing at the ground with her claws. "But when will that be? Besides, Fernflight's the best hunter in the clan and Stoneheart's the fastest and strongest cat in the clan! How am I supposed to live up to their reputation and the clan's expectations with this twisted leg of mine?" Her voice rose at the end into a wail and Hollykit lowered her gaze in shame.

Blackfur rested his tail on her shoulder briefly. "No worries. The clans knows you'll try your best at whatever you do, and that's all they ask of you. Your determination and your loyalty."

"Really?" Hollykit sniffled, glancing up at him. She barely paused to ponder why he had said 'whatever you do.'

"Really," Blackfur responded, voice full of certainty and calm determination.

* * *

"Blackfur, the dawn patrol's back!" Hollykit called, limping swiftly into the medicine den to find the black-furred tom sifting through his herbs. "They ran into a fox and they're wounded!"

The medicine cat jumped to his feet. "Right, do you know what the worst injuries are?"

Hollykit hesitated, racking her mind for memories of the cats. "Fernflight has a bad bite on her shoulder, Brambletail has a bad limp- I think he got thrown into a tree- and Appleflight's foreleg got twisted, though nothing like my leg, of course," she listed.

Blackfur nodded approvingly, and a rush of pride flashed across Hollykit before she straightened and sniffed the air. "Don't you need marigold for the wounds?" she pressed. "And dock?"

"Marigold, yes, though goldenrod is best for healing wounds. I might use some dock, but only for scratches and sore pads," Blackfur responded. His eyes glimmered with amusement as she, once visibly proud and confident, dulled and blinked quickly in shame. "Still, that was really good. Especially because you're not even a medicine cat apprentice, nor even a warrior apprentice who's had their battle wounds tended to."

"Yeah, well-" Hollykit responded, her mind suddenly throw off topic and instead into the future. What was she going to do? She couldn't be a warrior like any normal kit, so what was she going to do? Retire to live with the elders? But she was just a kit, with so much going for her despite her twisted leg...

A sharp nudge jolted her back to the present. "Come on, Hollykit!" Blackfur barked. "Help me carry these herbs back into the clearing, and then send Fernflight, Brambletail, and Appleflight straight to me, okay?"

Hollykit nodded quickly and picked up a bundle of herbs before darting into the clearing, tail streaming behind her. Then, she skidded to a halt and dropped the herbs in a shady patch of the clearing before rushing as fast as she could limp to the three listed cats, motioning for them to join Blackfur. They nodded and headed over to the medicine cat, and Hollykit was relieved to see them receive treatment even though Fernflight shot her a scorching look.

A sudden thought came to the grey she-kit. Maybe there was a future for her after all... Just not the future she had always thought she would never get to be. She didn't have to be a warrior to serve her clan- there was another role, a very valuable one, and she had a great chance of being able to serve it despite her twisted leg.

The path of a medicine cat.

* * *

"Cats of ThunderClan, you all know I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who shows intelligence and compassion to both me and her clan mates. Your next medicine cat will be Hollypaw," Blackfur mewed.

Lilystar took a step forwards, her light brown tabby pelt shining in the sun light. "Hollypaw, do you accept the position of apprentice to Blackfur?"

"I do," Hollypaw breathed, eyes wide in excitement.

"Then at the half-moon you must travel to the moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats," Blackfur continued.

Hollypaw raised her head higher, purring softly as Lilystar finished the ceremony with a quick mew, saying, "The good wishes of all ThunderClan go with you."

The new medicine cat apprentice turned towards her clan mates, lifting her tail and head as high as she could as she listened to their cheers. Her new name rang through the air, filling her with more pride then ever before. Blackfur stood next to her, eyes warm with approval and pride, and as the voices died down he led her towards the medicine cat den.

"Now, let's go through the battle herbs and their uses and then go collect some herbs, okay?" Blackfur announced.

Hollypaw nodded vigorously, mewing, "Yes, Blackfur!"

* * *

 _Of course, later that night everything became terrible again. Blackfur and I were out collecting herbs when a fox- maybe even the same one that had attacked the dawn patrol a few moons before that- pounced on us and Blackfur couldn't get it away from me before tossed me into the air, breaking one of my hind legs. I was to step one, helpless and desperate for a miracle._

 _After that, Stoneheart became fiercely protective of me. He tried to go with me wherever I went once my leg healed, which was hard because he had his duties and I had mine, but he tried his best. In the end he learned to let go, only two moons before I received my full medicine cat name, Hollyfrost._

 _Yet, my mother had become deputy during that time, being as our old one had passed away from a disease. Everything was fine for a season and a half until Lilystar lost her ninth life and Fernflight became leader, taking on the name Fernstar. She took every opportunity she had to torture me, and in the end, I had to flee ThunderClan and live off of the mercy of ShadowClan's leader, Tawnystar._

 _Eventually I managed to prove my loyalty and become one of them; I originally attempted to be a warrior, as they already had two medicine cats, but when a fierce bout of greencough brought the two into StarClan, along with a few others, I took their place as ShadowClan's sole medicine cat._

 _Still, Fernstar insisted on punishing me for my twisted leg. Countless raids and ambushes were made on ShadowClan, long enough for me to train ShadowClan's current medicine cat, Thornflight, and my new clan had to send me away so as to protect themselves. I found my way to RiverClan, where they were sympathetic enough to promise to teach me how to hunt and fight like a warrior so I could live in peace as a rogue until my mother finally came to accept me._

 _It took a few moons, but, I eventually did despite my twisted leg. I set off into the wild, determined to live a peaceful life away from Fernstar's wrath. When I eventually returned to the lake seasons later, I was old and frail and both Fernstar and Stoneheart were dead. ThunderClan let me back into their ranks as an elder, which brings me back to the present._

 _Now, go on. That's the end of my story. Remember your promise, too, young one. If you catch me in a good mood in a few moons, I might go into more detail if you're interested, but for now? Good bye and good night. I'm ready to sleep._


End file.
